South Seas Island Resort – Captiva Island Florida

Nestled on the idea of Captiva Island in Southwest Florida, the South Seas Island Vacation resort has handily endured hurricanes, an influx of vacationers, and a the latest renovation to maintain its perfectly-earned name as an distinctive island place. 

The 330-acre resort is the former web site of a copra and crucial lime plantation begun by Clarence Chadwick,  an inventor and itinerant farmer. By 1924, Chadwick owned 400 acres on the northern tip of Captiva and designed a range of homes as quarters for his personnel.  At 1 time, his plantation was the most significant essential lime producer in the environment.  In 1930, Chadwick grew weary of the enterprise and labored with his spouse and brother to turn the settlement of employee cottages into a feasible resort. Now, numerous of his towering coconut palms nonetheless stand, framing the vacation resort and delivering a lush, tropical welcome to site visitors.  Accommodations are unfold throughout the grounds in very low-rise buildings that includes lodge rooms, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom suites and non-public households.  Due to the fact the resort can take up the whole northern idea of Captiva, a cost-free trolley shuttles again and forth via the mangrove forests dotting the residence as properly as into city at designated moments.

The 2 1/2 miles of sugary beach front — methods absent from properties and condominiums within just the resort — is South Seas’ defining aspect.  Strolling the shell-strewn beach is a tranquil escape for even the weariest of vacationers.  The seashore was refreshed adhering to the devastation of Hurricane Charlie in 2005.  In simple fact, the entire vacation resort just lately underwent a $140 million renovation.  Rooms — from typical lodge rooms to a person,-two, and three bed room beach front villas and personal properties — were being recently decorated with a West Indies truly feel with bamboo and teak home furniture, lavish bedding and roomy bathrooms.  The pool region now element two new lagoon-style pools with cabana advanced and an expansive solar deck, fountains and Jacuzzi/spa.  The resort involves 18 heated outdoor pools in full, scattered through the distinct lodging villages as properly as the Beach Villas.

Manatees are a popular sight frolicking near the classy marina fronting South Seas.  The Yacht Harbour serves as a launching stage for scenic day cruises to Cabbage Key and Useppa as very well as shelling, dolphin observing and other boating excursions.  Boating enthusiasts can arrive at the vacation resort by h2o as the marina accommodates vessels up to 120 feet.

Probably South Seas’ greatest retained magic formula is its outstanding tennis services.  Expert services include day-to-day clinics for all levels, particular person personal lessons with an attained professional, endurance workshops, and clinics providing instruction on how to engage in doubles.  The resort features 19 courts in all, four of which are flood-lit for evening play.  The carefully crafted golfing training course completes the place club working experience, nonetheless preserves the secluded, tranquil truly feel of the island.  A the latest New York Times travel and leisure piece dubbed the South Seas golfing study course “one particular of the most picturesque 9-holers” everywhere.  Right after a vigorous round of golf, friends can consume at a single of a few dining places on the premises, which include room services delivered to condos, or just take edge of the quite a few choices in city and close by Sanibel.

When South Seas has often catered to family members, its new upgrade integrated an growth to its children’s programs and amenities.  Youngsters club theme get-togethers and other instructional camps are broken out into packages for teens and youngsters ages 4-12.  Past programs have bundled shell walks, water game titles, pirate hunts, and kayak programs, between some others.

When Captiva is well known for its seashores and shelling, its unspoiled wildlife has provided enduring comfort to a variety of people.  Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote her well-known “Presents from the Sea,” when vacationing on Captiva.  Captiva is 1 of the handful of areas remaining where you can observe rare birds these kinds of as opsrey, bald eagle, and blue herons in their organic habitat. The close by wildlife refuge is home to extra than 300 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles and amphibians and additional than 30 forms of animals — species that a customer may possibly not ordinarily get to see in these types of an personal location.  The miles of winding bicycle and jogging paths let website visitors to experience Captiva’s raw attractiveness at a languid tempo.

Although many charmed visitors have explained South Seas as seemingly “the finish of the entire world,” the newly restyled resort has preserved its standing as an unspoiled haven even though giving new amounts of facilities and products and services for families of all ages.